Re: [Marxism] Re: ISO adapts to ANSWER demagogy ?

[Louis Proyect <lnp3@xxxxxxxxx>]

Stan Smith wrote:
>     I see no reason to refer to "ANSWER demagogy" because ANSWER makes
> Israeli occupation of Palestine part of its Sept. 24
> demonstration. How is this defense of Palestine demagogy? Nor do I see any
> reason to state the ISO is "adapting" to ANSWER because the ISO
> also considers the Israeli occupation of Palestine a legitimate aspect of
> the anti-war demonstration. I think Louis ought to explain why he is using
> these terms this way.

We are not talking about a "legitimate aspect". We are talking about a
litmus test. Unless you agree to the "right of return," ANSWER will not
work in a united front. As I have stated previously, it would be far more
important for the Palestinian cause to have a massive and united protest in
Washington around the slogan of immediate withdrawal from Iraq than smaller
and more "radical" protests. A huge turnout on the scale of the protests
that took place before the invasion of Iraq would put intense pressure on
Anglo-American imperialism. If such a protest factored in a pullout from
Iraq, the example of a victory over the most powerful military in world
history would inspire others struggling for self-determination and against
capitalism. A victorious insurgency in Iraq would be a pole of attraction
for fighters throughout the Middle East trying to get rid of sellout regimes.

The Workers World Party, the Becker-Rivas sect and the ISO--to a lesser
degree--all have mistaken ideas about building an "anti-imperialist"
movement that has its roots in the Maoist, SDS and New Left movements of
the 1960s. They never felt comfortable with a movement that limited itself
to demanding immediate withdrawal. Slogans were a test of your purity.
Unless you could distinguish yourself from the liberals, you were not a
genuine radical. Thus, slogans like "Victory to the NLF" became a litmus
test for the kind of movement they sought to build, just as "the right of
return" is today. The one thing that could give a shot in the arm to the
Palestinian movement is the spectacle of the USA being driven out of Iraq.
I don't think that the UfPJ quite has this strategic goal in mind, but at
least they have the merit of relating to real forces in American
society--as opposed to the paper organizations that comprise much of the
ANSWER steering committee.

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